Mass Wasting Risks- Week 8

 

According to the article "Mass Wasting" by the National Park Service it states "Mass wasting is the movement of rock and soil down slope under the influence of gravity. Rock falls, slumps, and debris flows are all examples of mass wasting. Often lubricated by rainfall or agitated by seismic activity, these events may occur very rapidly and move as a flow." Some events that can trigger a landslide include earthquakes, intense rain, rapid snowmelts, coastal erosion and volcanic eruptions. 

As of 2017, South Korea has experienced over 1,728 landslide fatalities since 1970. The majority of mass wastes to occur in South Korea are usually caused by monsoon rainfall, underlying geological conditions and South Korea's steep topography. Heavy rainfall being the most common factor for landslides in South Korea and due to climate change causing these heavy rainfalls. The planning system of South Korea does not prevent construction such as houses, buildings, roads to be built near areas that are at high risk of landslides. North Gyeongsang Province is a region that is hit the hardest with mudslides. Research shows that the North Gyeongsang Province has about 5,000 areas that are very vulnerable to to landslides. 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013795218319045
https://asianews.network/a-wake-up-call-on-landslide-dangers-in-south-korea/
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/erosion/mass-wasting.htm
http://nationalatlas.ngii.go.kr/pages/page_2397.php

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